Couchfish

While all of our island hopping so far has been short hops from island to island, our last is a long jaunt north, to Ko Ngai . It is a last minute addition as I’m not keen on hitting Ko Lipe , and it will give us a convenient out back to Trang for the train to Bangkok. Lyla and Will’s take on exploring Thailand’s Southwest islands. In the past for a long hop like this, you’d return to the mainland...

Side note: I’ve linked to a lot of other Couchfish writing in this post, but I’ve tried to link solely to the free–to–read pieces—enjoy! Want to read them all? Get 50% off a Couchfish membership here . One year down—who knows how many to go. On March 30, Couchfish turned one year old. Before anything else, thank you for your support through the journey so far. I hope you’ve found the trip interest...

As I mentioned last week, Ko Bulon Lae in far southwest Thailand has long been a popular budget spot . This is particularly the case with travelling families, and this visit is no exception to the rule. Couchfish turns one on March 31 (yes, tomorrow!) Tomorrow is the one–year anniversary of Couchfish. To celebrate,  I’m offering a 50% off deal until April 14 on annual subscriptions . So this means...

Alright so we’re trying something different this Friday on Couchfish. I’ve got in touch with with Nicky Sullivan , who wrote for quite a few years for Travelfish. She’s now in northern France at the moment and she’s going to be talking about a heart warming moment. One way to make a difference. Photo: Nicky Sullivan . I don’t know about you, but just about everybody I know who does a lot of travel...

The end is in sight my island–hopping friends! As I wrote last week , our next stop after Ko Lao Liang was Ko Sukorn, but as I’ve written about Sukorn here , I’m jumping south. To Ko Bulon Lae. This video highlights the best beach on Ko Bulon Lae. Ko Bulon Lae is a funny shaped island in the next province south, Satun. The province is far better known for the uber popular Ko Lipe and the large nat...

Last week a few guidebook writers tweeted, lamenting their already researched books, were not going to press. Why? Covid. Last weekend it was Nyepi (the day of silence) in Bali. We headed up to Amed in the northeast for a stretch. Pre–Covid there were hundreds of hotels and guesthouses open for business there. On a casual ride along Amed’s many bays, I’d guess about 75% of the hotels were closed a...

Don’t fret, the end is within sight on this multi–part Thai island sojourn—just a few to go! Today we leave Ko Libong for the longtail trip south to Ko Sukorn. As I’ve written about Sukorn previously , today I’m going to write about where we broke the journey at— Ko Lao Liang . Please do watch to the end to see cheeky Will get his just desserts. A part of Mu Ko Petra National Park , this stopover...

As I mentioned last week , most of the resorts on Ko Libong are clustered around one beach on the island. Each has its own restaurant, but a walk along the beach took me to a ramshackle beach cafe/bar—Rimlay Restaurant. A good wrap on the threats to dugong in Thailand. Rimlay is owned by Mr Bangriam and his wife, both born and raised on the island. A fall down affair, the menu is simple—seafood, s...

I’ve written before on how when I was living in Phnom Penh I needed to return to Bangkok once a month for a work meeting. I’d overland it via a hodge podge of share taxis, passing through Battambang and Pailin. From Pailin I’d cross into Thailand near Chanthaburi . I did the trip every month for a year or so—until the paper in Bangkok finally let me go. Through these trips I spent a lot of time in...

As I wrote the other week , Ko Muk’s main village backs onto a working beach lined with a gaggle of beach bars. The beach is no great chop, but the bars are a comfortable spot to while away the late afternoon and catch the sunset’s shadow. In the distance to the south, lies the rising hills of Ko Libong . Ko Libong off the starboard bow. Photo: Stuart McDonald. Libong, like Ko Sukorn further south...

On the morning of February 1, 2021, Southeast Asia woke to the news that Burma was in the thralls of yet another coup. Unlike past coups, this time around something was different . This time the revolution would be televised—if only on the small screens in our palms. My Twitter feed is awash in reports of increasing violence as the junta cracks down . News and video reports broadcast by brave loca...

As you may be aware, over the last year and a bit, tourism—in just about all of its flavours—has collapsed. The heady days of overtourism put on hold (one hopes for good), chit chat has turned to what the scene will look like at the other end of the tunnel. Not a horizon pool in sight. At Lake Toba, Sumatra. Photo: Stuart McDonald. At least within a Southeast Asian context, much of the focus is on...

As I wrote last week , Ko Muk, in southwest Thailand, is best known for the “Emerald Cave”. If you turned your imagination towards a hidden pirate’s lair, you’d struggle to come up with a better image. Hidden away on the west coast of the island, approachable only by boat, the cave has hidden treasure written all over it. It is to the cave we’re heading today—but first we need a boat. Missed the e...

Travel writing, at least in the travel guide niche is a bit akin to being something between a soldier and an archivist. Big skies north of Bima, Sumbawa. Photo: Stuart McDonald. Visits demand military planning. A method of approach to allow the writer to take in as much as possible in a minimum of time. Everything filed, for me in notebooks and a smartphone. Later it all gets regurgitated—hopefull...

As this is the 200th Couchfish itinerary post, I’m making it a free for all to read. Today is on the topic of a forest temple that touched my heart and I touched the earth—or something like that anyway! Thank you all for following the Couchfish itinerary day by day—200 down, 200+ to go. Thank you so much. If you’d like to subscribe for the full version of Couchfish, it costs US$7 per month and you...

Across our few days on Ko Kradan , we spent our fair share of time watching the sinking sun’s rays garnish Ko Muk’s peaks. The island is famous for being home to the Emerald Cave, but has also long been the backpacker island of choice in the area. Both my wallet and I are keen to get there and a morning longtail is in order. Changing planets. Photo: Stuart McDonald. Much as when we arrived , the s...

Today’s post started out as something else, but ended up as an accidental book review of the excellent The Meaning Of Travel and yet another opportunity for me to take a dig at The Beach . “The word ‘Utopia’ is Greek, and it is a joke on More’s part: it means ‘no–place’. Like travel books, utopian stories abounded during the European Age of Discovery. ... Travel books and utopias both portray diff...

People travel for all sorts of different reasons. Some love the beaches, others the jungles, others still the cities. Grab three island lovers, and you’ll probably get three different islands. With this in mind, before I started writing this piece, I asked the kids what they loved the most about Ko Kradan . Missed A good trip, with kids. Part 1? You can read it here . Will immediately blurted out...

Please note, while the following is related to Bali, the same arguments can hold for many destinations across the region. A few times a week, I try to get down to the beach to write. I love the ocean, and the sound of the surf helps me drown out everything else in my head. Our closest beach, Batu Belig, in South Bali, is five minutes away on a scooter. It is a typical South Bali beach. Grey to bla...

I’ve been so wound up following the sad events in Burma that I’ve forgotten what I was going to write about today. So, I’m going to write about something fun—I need something upbeat goddam it! So, I’m going to write about a trip I did with my kids a little over a year ago. Yes, pre–Covid19—remember then?! I’m going to break it out over a series, a new one every Tuesday—there is plenty to write! Fi...

Sorry I’m a day late with this—I had a few unforeseen dramas which required my attention yesterday. My apols. For years, no decades, I’ve hated Surat Thani . If you’re not familiar with the city, it is a southern Thai provincial capital often used as a gateway to the Gulf islands. I had a particularly unpleasant time there one trip years ago, which only served to cement my loathing of the place. I...

As you may have heard, most recreational travel is on hold at the moment, and has been for much of the last twelve months. It is a frustrating time for travellers and a devastating time for people involved in the tourism industry worldwide. Stuck at home, perhaps on the couch (reading Couchfish I see!), gazing out the window, wondering when travel will restart. Stuck on the couch or in the hammock...

This week I have an interview with my friend Caroline Mills. She’s an ex–Travelfish writer and now runs a small resort an hour south of Hoi An in Vietnam. You can reach Caroline on Twitter at @misscvietnam , by email at contact@ledomainetamhai.com or the resort’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/LD.Tamhairesort/ . The transcript of the interview is below—with some minor editing for clarit...

A couple of years ago I was in Eastern Indonesia and I caught a ferry from Baranusa on Pantar to Lewoleba on Lembata . The trip is roughly 100 km and it took around ten hours or so. It was slow travel. The boat is a typical mid–sized Indonesian vessel—a mixed purpose RORO ferry with plenty of space to roam. There are only a couple of vehicles on board so it isn’t long before the car deck transform...

Lingchi. It’s a form of execution where a knife methodically removes portions of the body over time, usually leading to death. Why have I been looking up its definition ? Australian travel writer Ben Groundwater last week tweeted a screenshot of an email from a reader. It read: “Thanks dickhead… [you get] paid to let thousands of people know about special places that have remained secret to a few...